TR: Santaquin Meadows, UT 8/25-27/2017

[FirstTracks]

For this weekend, DW, our dogs and I were looking for a new place to explore. Despite its proximity to home (only about 60 miles away) I have never before driven the Nebo Loop, a National Scenic Byway that runs around the east side of Mt Nebo, which at 11,929 feet is the highest summit in the Wasatch Mountains.

We headed up after work on Friday, encountering 30 minutes of rush hour delays on I-15. Bow hunting season began August 15 for both deer and elk, and most spots -- including the one I wanted from Google Earth recon -- were already taken by hunters who simply left their trailers there for the 14-day limit. We therefore left the Nebo Loop (FR-015) and headed west on the unpaved FR-014 toward Santaquin Canyon. There we found a delightful spot in Santaquin Meadows that while not entirely flat, I was able to successfully conquer the 5" side-to-side height differential and level the RV with some creativity.


Our camp.


Extreme leveling.




Another view of our camp.


Exploring around camp.

It was a wonderful weekend all the way around -- we drove most of the rest of the Nebo Loop on Saturday, checking out Devil's Kitchen and stopping at Box Lake to let the dogs swim. They needed it -- I took a walk from camp on Saturday morning trying to find a spring noted on my topo map. The dogs found it before I did, and it turned out to be more of a mud bog than the pristine spring that I was expecting.


Seriously?


Utah Valley and Utah Lake from near camp.


Box Lake


Mt. Nebo in the distance, from the Nebo Loop Road.


Mt. Nebo

(continued)

[FirstTracks]

(part 2)


Devil's Kitchen


Our camp.


Campfire Saturday night.


Our view of Mt. Nebo from camp.


Looking down on Santaquin Meadows from the Nebo Loop Road, our camp is clearly visible.

Returning home this afternoon, we opted to head up the west side of Utah Lake where we stopped to again let the dogs swim, and were stopped by the sheriff for a few moments to allow a helicopter to pick up water from the lake and ferry it to yet another wildfire above the road.

[FirstTracks]

For more info on Santaquin Meadows:
https://www.campendium.com/santaquin-meadows

[Maman325]

Beautiful - thanks for sharing!

[dbt1980]

Was it hard getting to the campsite I've looked into going up there but I've heard the canyon roads are to narrow.

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by Maman325

Beautiful - thanks for sharing!

Thanks for always commenting! At least I know that someone looks at these things.

Originally Posted by dbt1980

Was it hard getting to the campsite I've looked into going up there but I've heard the canyon roads are to narrow.

Coming into Santaquin Meadows off the Nebo Loop was a piece of cake. The lower part of Payson Canyon is a bit narrow with a few hairpin turns, but it's wide enough and it's that rarest of animals: a paved Forest Service road. FR014 from the Nebo Loop down to Santaquin Meadows is narrow and graded gravel, but easily negotiable and in excellent condition.

Coming up from Santaquin via Santaquin Canyon is a different story - very, very narrow and tight, and quite a bit steeper and rougher right after the pavement ends. If in doubt, come up from Payson.

South of FR014, we only followed the Nebo Loop as far as Devil's Kitchen. The further south the steeper the road descended, and the bigger the drop-offs got. It looks like it remained steep as it descended past Devil's Kitchen towards Nephi. I was glad I wasn't towing a 7000-lb trailer at that point, even though it was paved.

[RangeMaggotBob]

Man, you are killing me! Again! You do know how to camp. Did you do any fishing up there in Payson Canyon? I remember we used to pull out some big trout from those little lakes up there. I imagine I'm going to have to look you up when we get back out there. I heard the West side of Utah Lake is all grown up now, with housing tracts and everything. Used to hunt ducks and pheasant out that way. Keep up the excellent boondocking reports and pics. Really makes me jealous!! I look for your reports just about every week. I do miss Utah.

[FirstTracks]

Thank you! On the side of Lake Mead right now. Look me up anytime, but I'm now limited in my TRs to this forum as I'm now doing them as YouTube vids and the forum moderators have taken a dislike to my doing so. If you need a link to the channel just back channel me, for even linking to the channel seems to get everyone's panties in a wad.

[Nancyc7]

Wow, this is the first time I’ve looked in this area of the forum. Now I have new addiction.....

[FirstTracks]

Originally Posted by Nancyc7

Wow, this is the first time I’ve looked in this area of the forum. Now I have new addiction.....

[emoji106]